This past Saturday, the news began circulating about the Saint Vitus Bar receiving a visit by the New York Police Department while a show was in progress and subsequently being closed on the spot for an indeterminable length of time. Details were spotty but other media sources were citing a complaint from the NYC Department of Buildings which I searched and have embedded as a graphic down below. As this resized for the web you might have to make it a little larger on your device to see it more clearly. While I’m by no means an expert on NYC laws, I will admit that some of this makes no sense to me.
Today the venue took to their Official Instagram and posted some updates and also answered some of the inquiries that they have been receiving.
“On Friday February 16th in the middle of a scheduled show, the DOB shut down all operations at Saint Vitus,”
“We are saddened and deeply frustrated by the circumstances and are working to remedy the situation as fast we can. This closure is temporary, but we want to address everything that directly affects our community of artists and fans alike. Please be patient as we work through this, and thank you for your continued support.”
“We are announcing venue changes for the immediate upcoming calendar as they come in. We are sorting each show in chronological order-artists are already in contact with our team and will be updated ASAP, and public announcements will also be rolled out shortly.
“You will not need to do anything if you have an advance ticket, just keep an eye out on the email associated with your DICE account and our Instagram for continued announcements.”
“For now, do what you do best: show up to see live music. Buy your ticket in advance. We are continuing to announce Vitus Presents shows at our partner venues, and again, will reopen for business as usual as soon as we are able to.
“We’ll be rolling out ways to support our onsite staff who have been affected by this closure soon, and if you want to help on that front, continue to let us know. Our online merch store was unfortunately undergoing a relaunch when this occurred, but we’re working on next steps. Watch this space for updates.
“If you live in Greenpoint, reach out to your local representatives and let them know how much SV matters to you. We deeply appreciate everyone who has reached out, posted in support-even worn our merch out in solidarity.”
PiercingMetal Thoughts: While my larger editorial thoughts are forthcoming, we hope for the very best for the folks involved with the Saint Vitus Bar. It’s too important a space to lose in my humble opinion.
Official: http://www.saintvitusbar.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/saintvitusbar